Suspension fob tennis-nets



R. S. BLAIR.

SUSPENSION FOR TENNIS NETS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 23, I9l6. RENEWED MAR. 29. 1919.

1,322,75%, Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

303E332 S. BLAIR, 0E fiOUTfi ORANGE, .NEW J SUSPENSION For; reams-wars;

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 25, 1919.

Application filed February 23, 1916, SerialNo. 79,902. Renewed March 29, 1919. Serial No. 286,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT S. BLAIR, a citizen of the United States, and resident of South Orange, in; the county of Essex and State'of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Suspensions for Tennis-Nets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to 'means for suspending tennis nets and the like. One of the objectsthereof is to provide means of theabove type of simple and practical construction and efiicient action. Another object is to provide convenient and inexpensive means for stretching a flexible member in a substantially straight form. Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

he invention accordingly consists in the features of construction and action, the combinations of elements and arrangement of parts, which will be exemplified in the matter hereinafter described, and the scope of the application of whichwill be indicated in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing in which is shown one of various'possible embodiments of this invention- Figure 1 is a side elevation.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken substan tially on the "line A--A of F ig. '1.

Fig. 3 is a plan of the parts shown in Fig. 1. I

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawing. I

Referring now in detail to Fig. '1, there is shown a tennis net 1'- supported by the end supports or posts 2 and 3. The lower corners of the net are stretched in position and connected to the posts by the lines 4:

' andalong the upper edge is the usual top line or strip of canvas 5. This may be secured at the point 6 to the post 2 atone end, and at the opposite end is joined to a line 7 as at 8.

It may here be noted that the term line is used in a broad sense to denote any flexible or semi-flexible member: adapted to stand a tensile stress.

Interposedin the line 5 there is preferably connected a spiral spring 9 in such manner that as the former is stretched the pull will be transmitted through the spring. The line 7 is connected either to the post w 20;" o th l ne 5 at 6 aadbey nd th p in 8 is extended as at 10 over the post 3 and secured to a'suitable cleat 11. The post 8 may be provided if desired with a pulley 12 at its upper end, over which the line portion 10 passes as the net is stretched.

Intermediate the ends of the net as at the center portion there is provided a holding member'13, which may be formed of heavy sprlng steel wire. This member, as best shown in Fig. 2 of the drawing, isprovided with a loop 14 at itsupper end, which snaps over the upper line 5, and comprises a depending portion 15, which tends to hold is woven through the net strands 18 at the.

lower edge of the net. As this wire member is substantially rigid it tends to maintain an upright position when in use.

7 There are preferably provided additional uprightmembers 19 and 20, which are substantially identical with the member 13, except that their portions 17 are shorter, thus spacing the lines 5 and 7 to a less degree at such points. Although three of these devices are here shown it is tobe understood that any desired number may be employed, excellent "results being obtained from using two only,

both alike, and each spaced one-third of the length of the net from its ends.

Although the several eyes 16 may be positioned substantially under the line 5, the slight extent to which they are offset from the vertical plane should be alternately on opposite sides, as indicated in exaggerated form in Fig. 3 of the drawings.

In the use of this apparatus the line 7 may be given a slightly greater length between the points 6 and 8 than the line 5 comprehended between those points with the spring 9, if it be used, unstretched. The lines 5 and 7 being preferably permanently connected together at the points 6 and 8, with the several. supporting' devices in position, the net is secured as usual at the point 6 and by the ties 4E. The line portion 10'is then stretched over the pulley 12 and secured at the cleat 11. The which need not be extreme, quickly draws the line 7 to the position indicated in Fig. 1 of thedrawing,

and this raises up the line portion 5 with the net at the several sup the upper edge of I porting devices a "d so relieves the latter of the effect of weight, that it is readily stretched into a substantially straight line.

The line 5 may, if desired, be so proportioned that when it is stretched straight, as

shown in the drawings,'the spring 9 will be shghtly expanded, thus insuring aflproper tautness in this line.

There is no real probability of the line extending above the partspro'perly proportioned, even i with great pull upon the line '10, for although the tension;in the line 5 aids inraising it to the horizontalthis same tension opposes any raising above the horizontal.

The supports are held upright without enga gem ent' with ageof their lower arms, and do not extend to. any appreciable extent above the upper edge of the net. 7 A slight increase in stability is gained by slightly staggering the eyes of the supports,

vas indicated in Fig. 3, but this is notessen- It will thus be seen that there is provided simple and cheap apparatus in which the objects of this invention are'achieved, and that by this means a tennis net or the like may be effectively held in a" substantially horizontal line without great eflort or strainupon the parts. V As various changes might be made in the above construction, and as the invention paratus, it

might be embodied in various formsofap- 1s lntended that all'matter herein described: or shown in the accompanylng drawing-shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense Having described my invention, I-claim+ 1. In a device of the'class described, in combination, means adapted to engage the upper'edge portion of a net and extend below said-edge and a transverse supporting member connected with said first means hea low sald edge portionfto support the same.

2. In a device of the class described,in

combination, means adapted to engage the upper edge portion of a net and extend bolowsaid edge, a transverse supporting member connected Wltl'lsaid first means below said edge portion to support the same, and

- means extending belowv said point of con- 'nection and tending to maintain said'first means in apredeterm ned positiom 3. A supporting line spaced from' the upper. edge of a'net atan intermediate por' tion thereof, substantially rigid means extending from said spaced portion upwardly andadapted to support the upper edge of the nettand meansmounting said'line; to

permit it to be tautened.

horizontal with the portion of the net. K

.removably secured the ground bythe long lever-- positiom of the net at; an intermediate of and aplurahty of supporting means in- 4. Ina device of the class described, in combination, a supporting line spaced from the upper edge of the net at an intermediate portion thereof, and substantially rigid means extending from said spaced portion upwardly and adapted to'support the upper edge of the net and downwardlyto tend to hold itself in an upright'plane.

A supporting device comprising a portion'adapted to .be secured tothe upper edge of the net, a lower portion adapted to re ceiveasupporting line, and a lower portion adapted to make engagement withthe lower combination, .a supporting line spaced from the upper edgeof the net at an intermediate portion thereof, and a substantially rigid device connected w1t;h ,said spaced portion of said supporting lineand extending upwardly. to engage and support the upper edge of the net, andvdownwardly into interlocking relation with the lower portionnof the net. 4 i

8. In a-device of the class described, in combination, a pair of end'supports, means mounting a net on said end supportsfand comprising line spaced from the upper edge of the net at anintermediate portion thereof and supporting means f interposed between said line at said spaced portion. and SELlCl upper edge, and means tendmg to'maintain: said supporting means" in an upright 9. In a b o a emc pair of end supports, means 7 mounting a net on said end supports and comprising p I edge of. thenet line spaced from the upper thereof and supporting means interposed between said line at sald spaced portion and said upper edge, means said supportingmeans in an upright [JO-S21 tion, and a spring interposed in the upper edge portion of the net. t

10. In a device of othej class described, in combination,-a pair, end supports, vmeans mounting a iiet'on said end supports comprising a line spacedifrom theupper edge portion thereterposed between saidline at said spaced portion and the :upperedge of the-net, one of saidisupporting means being more remote from said i and of greater effective length and means device of the class described, in" p at an intermediate portion 7 tending to maintain a end support than a the other adapted to maintain said supporting means in an upright position.

11. In a device of the class described, in combination, a pair of end supports means mounting a net on said end supports comprising a line spaced from the upper edge of the net at an intermediate portion thereor and a plurality of supporting means interposed between said line at said spaced portion and the upper ed e of the net, and means adapted to maintain said supporting means in an upright position.

12. A supporting device for tennis nets and the like formed of a unitary substantially integral member having at its upper end a resilient portion adapted to snap over and grip theupper edge of the net, and extending downwardly in substantially rigid form, first into an eye and then into a portion adapted to interlock with the lower portion of the net.

13. A supporting device for tennis nets and the like of substantially rigid form and having its upper end bent on itself to form a resilient loop, the lower portions of said loop being closer one to another than the upper portions, whereby said device is adapted to grip and hold upwardly the upper edge. portion of the net without proj ecting materially above the same.

14. In combination a pair of end supports, means mounting a tennis net on said end supports and a plurality of devices engaging the upper edge of said net between said end supports, and extending from said upper edge downwardly upon alternately opposite sides of the net,

15. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a line stretchedalong the net said line and said member at an intermediate portion of the latter and means adapted to hold said spacing'device in a substantially upright position. v

17.. Supporting means for a tennis net comprising a pair of end supports, an upper edge line stretched between said supports,

a second line, means securing said second line to the net at a point intermediate of the net and downwardly spaced from its upper edge, and means securing said second cured to said net at an intermediate point spacedfrom its upper edge'and providing an eye through which said second line passes, and means securing the ends of said second line in position at points higher than said eye.

19. Supporting means for a tennis net comprising a pair of end supports, an upper edge line stretched between said supports, means secured to said net at an intermediate point and providing an eye downwardly spaced from its upper edge, and a second line secured at one end to a point higher than said eye, thence passing through said eye, and thenceextendin upwardly and secured to said first line.

20. In a device of the class described, in combination, a tennis net, means adapted to support the upper edge of said net, means intermediate the ends of said net and spaced from its upper edg adapted to make connection with a line, and a line passing through said last means and extending in each direction to a point of support at a higher level.

21. In a device of the class described, in

combination, a tennis net, and a device se- 7 rured to said net having a part adapted to make connection with a line spaced from the upper edge of said net and a part engaging said net beneath said point of connection. In a device of the class described, in combination, a tennis net and a plurality of devices secured to said net intermediate its ends, each provided with apart for making connection with a line, each of said parts being spaced. from the upper edge of the net,

and the parts toward the ends of the net being so spaced to -a lesser degree than intermediate parts.

23. In a device of the class described, in combination, a tennis net, a line stretched along the upper edge of said net, and a line secured to said not at a point intermediate its ends and spaced from the upper edge and extending upwardly toward each end, one

of said lines having therein.

Signed at, South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, this 12th day of February, A. D.,1916. 7

ROBERT S; BLAIR.

a spring interposed 

